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My two favorite rides at Disney theme parks are “It’s a Small World After All” and “Big Thunder Mountain Railroad”. Both are popular attractions at Disneyland, Disney World, and the Disney parks in Paris and Tokyo.

“It’s a Small World After All” made its debut at the 1964 New York World’s Fair in the UNICEF pavilion and was designed as a message of international harmony by Walt Disney’s team. It was transported to Disneyland in 1966, and located inside Fantasyland; it instantly became a highlight of the park.

In this ride, passengers get into boats outside the attraction and they are carried inside and moved along by a gentle current. They go through a series of rooms, each of which has dolls from different countries and cultures singing and moving to the catchy song. There is the Taj Mahal, Big Ben, and the Eifel Tower, among other global landmarks. I like trying to spot all the different countries and landmarks.

There are about 300 Audio-Animatronics figures from 100 different nations. They are simple and childlike with their repetitive movements and limited articulation. At the end of the ride, there are dolls from all the different nations singing “It’s a Small World After All” together. To me, it is very appealing ending.

That song is the infectious kind that I can’t get out of my mind. It was written by Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman, who also wrote the songs for Mary Poppins. It is continually played in a soundtrack loop, about 4,800 times an operating day in Disney parks around the world. Just about all of us can’t help singing along.

It’s a world of laughter, a world of tears,

It’s a world of hopes and a world of fears;

There’s so much that we share,

That it’s time we’re aware

It’s a small world after all.

It’s a small world after all,

It’s a small world after all,

It’s a small world after all,

It’s a small, small world.

There is just one moon, and one golden sun,

And a smile means friendship to ev’ryone;

Though the mountains divide,

And the oceans are wide,

It’s a small world after all.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, in Frontierland, is a relatively gentle roller-coaster geared towards adults and teens; it is more exciting to ride in the back of the train than the front. It was modeled after a runaway mining train in the Wild West, and opened in Disneyland in 1979 and in Disney World a year later. The track and queue design are different at each park, even though the theme is the same. There was a prolonged development phase for “Big Thunder Mountain Railroad” in which they considered several “histories” for the mountain. Themes of gold fever and revengeful native American spirits were finally chosen for the ride.

In Disney World, the ride is about 3.5 minutes of hairpin turns and dark descents, and there are six trains which are nicknamed I.B. Hearty, I.M Brave, I.M. Fearless, U.B. Bold, U.R, Daring, and U.R. Courageous. I prefer this roller coaster to other ones because it is just exciting enough for me. You feel like you are falling, and go around corners quickly enough to be tossed from side to side.

There are 20 audio-animatronic figures including donkeys, chickens, possums, and the rainmaker in a now flooded mining town: Professor Cumulus Isobar. There is also antique mining equipment, falling rocks, an earthquake, and the smell of sulfur as you pass phosphorescent pools. In Disney World, you careen through a dinosaur’s ribs, under a waterfall, past spewing geysers, and over a volcanic pool.

The lines are long but move fairly quickly. It is best to go during parades, or use a FASTPASS, or go late in the day (many people say it’s even better after dark). Plan for at least 30 minutes of queuing at non-peak times, and an hour at peak times.

It is easy to see why “It’s a Small World After All” and “Big Thunder Mountain Railroad” are so popular. They both have appealing themes and lots of attention to detail. They are very different from each other but both are great examples of why Disney theme parks are so much fun. I never get tired of them.

Tracy Crowe has been to both Disneyland and Disney World, and loved both of them.